Happy New Year
2022
新年獻詞
12月31日，新加坡總理李顯龍發表新年獻詞，新年伊始，全球與冠病的鬥爭還未結束。奧密克戎變種毒株的出現，爲疫情增添了新的變數，所幸比起兩年前，新加坡的抗疫能力已增強許多。
李顯龍總理新年獻詞（華文）
2021年12月31日
展望未來
轉眼間，我們對抗2019冠狀病毒疾病已經有兩年了。在這場漫長且艱辛的戰役中，政府曾爲了保護人民的健康和生計，被迫采取嚴厲的防疫措施。這包括自建國以來首次關閉邊境，以及動用大量儲備金，扶持受影響的員工和商家。我們也不斷創新和變通，迅速適應了新的生活、工作和學習方式。
正因爲此，我國才確保了醫療體系的有效運作，避免付出巨大的生命代價。政府的多個預算案保住了國人的工作，同時讓受創的經濟逐漸複蘇。新加坡人也攜手同心，不畏困難，在崎岖的抗疫道路上堅毅向前。許多人的付出甚至超出了自己的職責範圍。尤其是我們的前線和醫療人員，更是日以繼夜、爭分奪秒與病毒對抗。還有不少商家和無名英雄也挺身而出，爲保護大家的安全和維持國家的運作盡一份力，在逆境中展現了勇氣和奉獻社會的精神。
在過去的一年，本地體壇也屢傳捷報，振奮人心。出征奧運會和殘奧會的我國健兒，讓小紅點在國際舞台上發光發亮。他們包括在東京殘奧會奪下兩面金牌的泳將葉品秀，以及在國際賽事中奪冠的台球選手葉浚惟和保齡球選手黃琳芷。在我們即將告別2021年之際，雄獅隊也在鈴木杯東盟足球錦標賽中展現了過人的鬥志與毅力。更讓國人喜悅的是，羽毛球健將駱建佑過關斬將成爲了我國史上首個羽毛球世界冠軍。這些健兒的拼搏精神，讓國人在這個艱難的時期受到啓發，也爲他們感到驕傲。
新年伊始，全球與冠病的鬥爭還未結束。奧密克戎變種毒株的出現，爲疫情增添了新的變數。所幸，我國的抗疫能力已比兩年前強了許多。我們正緊鑼密鼓地爲人們施打追加劑，並開始爲12歲以下兒童接種疫苗。我們也學會了如何更好地應付公共衛生挑戰，同時把疫情對經濟的沖擊降到最低。目前，我國正在做准備面對奧密克戎疫情所帶來的沖擊，但無論局勢如何發展，我們都有信心沉著應對。
我們的當務之急不僅是與病毒對抗，而是要在後疫情時代，繼續促進新的經濟增長、創造新的就業機會，讓國家繁榮發展。不過，要取得成功，很大程度上將取決于全球和區域局勢的穩定，而中美關系是其中的關鍵。盡管中美之間仍有許多根深蒂固的分歧，但兩國近期的高層互動和在氣候變化課題上的務實合作，還是令人感到鼓舞的。
另一方面，新加坡將繼續與各國建立夥伴關系，並持續推動自由貿易和區域經濟一體化，以讓人民受益。這包括在2022年1月1日生效的區域全面經濟夥伴關系協定。
接下來的一年將會是一個過渡時期。我國經濟正在穩步複蘇，只要沒有意想不到的情況出現，我國就能跟上全球經濟複蘇的步伐。國內生産總值預計在2022年可取得3%到5%的增長。隨著各領域複蘇，政府會逐步取消緊急援助措施，但也會考慮到少數行業也許需要更多時間重振旗鼓。只要奧密克戎疫情受到控制，我們就會繼續以安全的方式和更多地方恢複跨境旅遊，與世界各地重建聯系。我們也會持續引進我們急需的客工，並確保我國仍舊歡迎國際人才，也讓他們與新加坡人形成互補。
除了立足眼前，我們也要著眼未來，做好長遠規劃。我們會繼續推動産業轉型，在鞏固現有優勢的前提下，協助企業重組，以及讓員工提升技能。政府將與企業及工運合作，不斷在員工身上投資，讓他們在職業生涯中與時俱進，保持就業能力。政府也會著重開拓數碼經濟和綠色經濟等新增長領域，進一步落實智慧國計劃和2030年新加坡綠色發展藍圖。
冠病疫情讓這一代國人接受了曆練，也讓我們意識到全民一心的重要性。這不會是我們需要克服的最後一次危機，今後在國家建設進程中，我們還會經曆更多的考驗。我們必須頑強抵抗試圖撕裂我國社會的外力，不讓這些勢力將我們分化。此外，由于在不同年代成長的國人會有不同的觀點和訴求，我們的社會規範也會隨時代改變。我們必須謹慎地順應改變，並捍衛我們的核心價值觀，鞏固新加坡人的國家認同。
爲此，我們必須不斷加強社會共識和共有的身份認同，同時確保政府和人民，以及不同背景的國人，能彼此信任和諒解。即使是在疫情期間，政府也沒有忽略這項重要的工作。我們允許在公共醫院工作的回教徒護士戴頭巾、致力讓職場變得更加公平、爲婦女提供更多的支持，以及改善自雇人士的工作保障和退休條件。接下來，我們還需要加強我們的社會契約，消除因疫情而加深的分歧、繼續扶持弱勢群體，以及爲有需要的人士強化社會安全網。我們也要關注人們的心理健康，以及應付因人口老齡化而産生的需求。這樣我們才能打造一個更公平、更具包容性和更團結的社會。
我們需要一個充滿活力的經濟，才有足夠的資源實現這些重要的目標。政府需要充足可靠的收入來推行各項社會發展項目，也必須增加收入來擴大醫療體系和各項援助計劃，讓年長國人受惠。大家都要略盡綿力，一起承擔，但經濟條件更好的人士必須貢獻更多。
所以，政府必須從消費稅這樣一個稅基廣闊的稅項著手，但也會在調高它的同時推出一套全面措施，來緩和稅率上調對低收入家庭的影響。消費稅是我國稅收和轉移支付制度的重要組成部分。這個制度還包括個人所得稅和財富稅，而它總體上會保持公平和累進的原則。
我們在好幾年前就意識到有必要提高消費稅。隨著我國經濟走出低迷，政府現在必須推動調整的工作了。有鑒于此，2022年的財政預算案將爲我國下一階段的發展，奠定可靠和可持續的財政基礎。
疫情無情，人間有情。這兩年來，大家風雨同舟，積極配合政府的嚴厲措施，並做出犧牲，共同渡過難關。在面對危機時，國人都意識到有必要做出困難的選擇，並爲了保障大家的利益，接受政府推行艱難的決策。這體現了我們上下一心的可貴精神。未來，我們仍需要保持團結一致，繼續以堅定不移的意志面對更長遠的挑戰。全民也要能夠接受“良藥苦口”的政策，才能讓新加坡克服萬難，不斷前進。這樣一來，人人才能安居樂業，沒有人會掉隊。
讓我們舉國同心，不斷放眼未來，確保新加坡在世界上保有一席之地，同時成爲一個具包容性的社會和一個讓人民引以爲豪的家園。
在此，我祝全體國人新年快樂！
李顯龍總理新年獻詞（英文版）
Looking Ahead
We have been grappling with COVID-19 for two years now. It has been a long and hard fight. We undertook drastic measures to protect lives and livelihoods. We closed our borders for the first time in our history. We drew heavily on our past reserves to support workers and businesses. We innovated and adapted quickly to new ways of living, working and learning.
As a result, we kept our healthcare system resilient and prevented significant loss of lives. Government Budgets saved jobs and nursed the economy back to health. At every step of the way, Singaporeans mustered strength and resolve to support one another. Many went above and beyond the call of duty. Our frontline and healthcare workers especially, have worked tirelessly round the clock. Businesses and everyday heroes, often in less visible places, have displayed courage and public spirit, and kept Singapore going and everyone safe.
In sports, we celebrated Yip Pin Xiu’s two swimming golds in Tokyo, and cheered all our Paralympians and Olympians for flying the Singapore flag high. Aloysius Yapp in pool-billiards, and Shayna Ng in bowling, reached the top in global competitions. And the year ended on a high note – the Lions showed grit and determination in their Suzuki Cup run, and Loh Kean Yew became our first ever world badminton champion. In these challenging times, Team Singapore has inspired us with their tremendous spirit, and done us proud.
Entering the new year, the fight against COVID-19 is not over. The Omicron variant has brought new uncertainties. Thankfully, our position is now greatly strengthened compared to two years ago. We have rolled out booster jabs and started vaccinating children below 12. We have also learnt to better manage the public health challenges while minimising the hit on our economy. As we brace ourselves for the impact of Omicron, we can be quietly confident that we will cope with whatever lies ahead.
Our immediate tasks go beyond managing COVID-19. We must continue to generate new growth, new jobs, and prosperity in a post-pandemic economy. Much will depend on a stable global and regional environment, central to which is relations between the US and China. The differences between the two powers remain many and deep, but their recent high-level engagements and practical cooperation on climate change are encouraging.
For our part, Singapore will continue engaging partners near and far. We will continue to pursue trade liberalisation and regional integration for the benefit of our people, including through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which comes into force on the first day of 2022.
The year ahead will be a time of transition. Our economy is recovering steadily. Barring fresh disruptions, it should grow in step with global economic recovery. We expect our GDP to grow by three to five percent in 2022. We will progressively phase out emergency support measures as businesses revive, though a few sectors will take longer. We will safely expand cross-border travel and re-connect with the rest of the world, Omicron permitting. We will also press on to bring in much needed migrant workers, and ensure international talents feel welcome and are able to complement Singaporeans.
Beyond the immediate outlook, we are planning ahead to achieve longer term goals. We will press on with our industry transformation efforts to enhance existing strengths, and help companies restructure and workers upgrade their skills. Together with businesses and the labour movement, we will keep investing in our workers to keep them productive and employable throughout their careers. We will seek out new growth areas, including in the digital and green economies, building on our Smart Nation efforts and the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
The pandemic has been a crucible of fire for this generation of Singaporeans. It has shown us the crucial importance of standing united as one. This will not be the last crisis to try us; we will face more tests and trials in our nation building journey. We must strenuously resist powerful external tidal pulls that will strain fault lines in our society, and not allow them to divide us. As successive cohorts come of age with new perspectives and expectations, our societal norms will evolve. We should do this cautiously, maintaining the core values that make us Singaporean.
This requires us to keep up efforts to strengthen our social consensus and shared identity. We must continue forging trust and mutual understanding – both between the Government and the people, and among Singaporeans of all backgrounds. Even amidst the pandemic, we did not neglect this crucial task. We have permitted Muslim nurses in public hospitals to wear tudung with their uniforms. We are actively strengthening fairness at the workplace and support for women, as well as improving protection and retirement adequacy for self-employed persons. Going forward, we will strive to solidify our social compact – mending rifts deepened by the pandemic, uplifting those falling behind, enhancing safety nets for those in need, caring for the mental health of people, and meeting the needs of an aging society. That is the path to a fairer, more inclusive and more united Singapore.
We need a vibrant economy to generate the resources to realise these cherished goals. And the government must have reliable and adequate revenues to carry out its social programmes. It needs to raise additional revenues to fund the expansion of our healthcare system and support schemes for older Singaporeans. Those who are better off should contribute a larger share, but everyone needs to shoulder at least a small part of the burden.
This is the rationale for raising a broad-based tax like the GST, coupled with a comprehensive scheme of offsets to cushion the impact on lower income households. The GST forms one important component of our system of taxes and transfers that also includes income and wealth taxes. Overall, our system will remain progressive and fair.
We have seen this need coming for some years. Now that our economy is emerging from COVID-19, we have to start moving on this. Budget 2022 will therefore lay the basis for sound and sustainable government finances for the next stage of Singapore’s development.
Throughout this pandemic, we have stood together, supported difficult decisions, made many sacrifices, and come through safely. We can confidently say that we have measured up as one people. In a crisis, everyone saw the need to make tough choices, and accepted hard policies for the common good. Looking ahead, confronted with longer term challenges, we must maintain the same unity of purpose, fortitude of spirit, and willingness to accept difficult measures, in order to overcome them decisively and keep on progressing together. This is how we will build a Singapore where everyone has a place and no one is left behind.
Let us stay united as one people and one Singapore – always looking ahead, securing our place in the world, and building an inclusive society that we can proudly call home.
I wish all Singaporeans a Happy New Year!
信息及圖片來源：新加坡總理公署官網
